Resident Evil: Revelations 2 was one of the very first Playstation 4 games I bought back in 2015 and it took me a whopping three years to complete this game. There are a lot of positive and negative elements about the game even though I would overall consider it an above average to good game.

On the positive side, the twisted story is quite interesting. It takes place in two different timelines which is an interesting concept. There are also multiple different characters to control with different objectives which adds some change and pace to the franchise. The story revolves around the events on an isolated island where an experiment has gone terribly wrong and has had grisly short- and long-term consequences. The different chapters are very challenging, detailed and long. The opponents are at times tough to fight, especially the bosses. The most recent editions even include two bonus episodes among other elements. If you purchase this game, you will have numerous hours of game play as Resident Evil: Revelations 2 truly offers value for money.

On the negative side, I think the game is a little bit too long overall. The fight sequences are quite repetitive and fighting the bosses for hours and hours can become quite frustrating. I often played the game for a week or two, took a break of several months and then resumed playing. That's why it took me nearly three years to make it through this epic game.

If you like the Resident Evil franchise or intense horror games in general, you simply can't get around this game because it offers high-quality long-term entertainment. On the other side, you need to bring some patience to accept the challenge to make it until the very end.

Detailed rating:

Atmosphere: 9/10

Challenge level: 10/10

Controls: 6/10

Game flow: 5/10

Graphics: 7/10

Length: 10/10

Long-term fun factor: 7/10

Sound: 8/10

Soundtrack: 7/10

Story: 7/10 

Total score:  76/100

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is a prequel to episodic graphic adventure video game Life is Strange which was released to critical acclaim three years earlier. This prequel focuses on two side characters from the original video game and takes place about three and a half years before the sinister events of Life Is Strange. It tells the story of Max's childhood friend Chloe who is acting tough, hanging around with shady people and listening to loud music in order to hide her loneliness, her lack of self-confidence and her pain regarding her father's death two years earlier. The broken teenager meets Rachel who seems to be quite the opposite: everybody seems to like her, she comes from an intact and wealthy family and she succeeds particularly well at school. Rachel however feels attracted to Chloe's craziness, honesty and spontaneity. The game revolves around the fact that appearances are not what it seems as Rachel's father has more than one sinister thing to hide from his daughter.

If you liked the dream-like atmosphere of the original game with its unique characters, intense storytelling and floating soundtrack, you will also like this sequel. It's particularly interesting to explore some characters from the first game further and to understand how they became the way they are. The two lead characters are intriguing teenage girls with bright and dark sides. As someone who grew up with perfect parents, succeeded well at school and appreciated most of his teenage years, I have always been intrigued by people who have experienced life differently. The characters in this game are authentic, deep and unique and all these elements will make you care about them and their fates.

There is only two minor reasons why I preferred the original game over the sequel. First of all, the original game has five episode while this one only has three. Secondly, the first game revolved around a truly sinister secret involving murder while this sequel is rather a family drama. On the other side, it was the right choice to tell a different story here to distinguish this game from the first one.

To keep it short, if you like authentic characters, dramatic storytelling and ominous atmosphere, you will like this game as well as the original Life Is Strange.

This game's limited edition includes some truly nice gimmicks such as a beautiful art book as well as the game's creative soundtrack on CD. 

Detailed rating:

Atmosphere: 9/10

Challenge level: 7/10

Controls: 7/10

Game flow: 7/10

Graphics: 8/10

Length: 8/10

Long-term fun factor: 8/10

Sound: 8/10

Soundtrack: 8/10

Story: 8/10 

Total score: 78 /100

Hidden Agenda is an interactive game for Playstation 4 that requests the additional use of a mobile device or tablet. You will need to download an additional free PlayLink application to be able to play the game. You won't be using the regular controller. The game is based upon quick time events and so-called ripple effects where specific choices can determine different outcomes of the game. The game can be played by up to six people who have to collaborate to make what they think could be the right choices. In addition to this, certain players will receive additional tasks known as hidden agendas. They will have to influence decisions in order to make certain things happen and gain points. Other players can try to uncover the player with a hidden agenda. Basically, Hidden Agenda is like a mixture of a board game for multiple players and a movie where the players watch the story unfold and only react to some quick time events and make choices. There almost isn't any gameplay.

Hidden Agenda tries to come around with a few fresh ideas but the overall execution is below average. First of all, it took me hours to download the app. I needed to create a Google Account, had to update my Playstation and it took me twenty minutes just to download the application and another ten minutes to make it work because both the Playstation and the Hidden Agenda application need to be connected on the same WiFi hotspot. Just getting this game started was frustrating. Supermassive Games should at least have given single players the opportunity to use the regular Dualshock controller.

Another big issue are the games' numerous glitches. The cut scenes are often abrupt and harm the game's fluidity. The player spends too much time looking at black screens or other graphic failures in between scenes. After having played the entire game twice, it happened already twice that the game was interrupted due to major glitches and I had to replay certain passages. It's hard to accept that such a short game that involved so many programmers has so many glitches.

Another serious problem is the game's length. Depending on your choices, it takes between eighty and one hundred twenty minutes to play the game. I knew this game was going to be shorter than a regular game, but playing this game for about eighty minutes is shorter than playing any elaborate board game I could possibly think of.

The game's only saving grace is the complex story with its multiple choices but once again, Hidden Agenda is far from perfection here. You can't save the game and go back to modify your choices, even though the game is subdivided into three parts as well as an introduction and a conclusion. It's possible to stop the game and continue playing the rest of the game at a later moment but you can't replay specific chapters. In addition to this, the story doesn't always make sense. In one case, an important witness pointed out the job the actual murderer might have but instead of investigating this lead, the characters of the game focused on a completely different possibility which led to an unfinished open ending that wasn't quite satisfying.

Even though I enjoyed the game for its main idea, there are too many problems about it, including a complicated application, numerous graphic glitches and the very short length. Ironically, the credits at the end of the game are so long that they make for about ten percent of the entire game which isn't even the case for short movies. My suggestion is to avoid this game and watch a great crime flick instead or play a board game with your friends. Supermassive Games tried to innovate gameplay but ended up failing miserably.

Detailed rating:

Atmosphere: 7/10

Challenge level: 7/10

Controls: 6/10

Game flow: 3/10

Graphics: 7/10

Length: 4/10

Long-term fun factor: 4/10

Sound: 6/10

Soundtrack: 6/10

Story: 8/10 

Total score: 58 /100

Alekhine's Gun is a third-person stealth action video game developed and published by Maximum Games. It is the third entry in the Death to Spies franchise but can be played independently from the first two games. The story follows a KGB agent recruited by the FBI from the Second World War to the sixties. The interesting but not quite original Cold War scenario leads the protagonist to Cuba, Germany and the United States of America among others.

On the positive side, the plot is interesting enough even though it isn't much surprising for those interested in spy cinema and literature. The game features eleven levels that add diversified locations. The entire game has the vibe of an old spy flick which gives it a certain charm. There are numerous ways to assassinate specific targets. The challenge level is quite elevated and probably slightly more interesting than similar stealth action games.

On the negative side, the graphics look stiff and old but not in an atmospheric or charming way. They remind me of the first entries in franchises such as No One Lives Forever and Splinter Cell about twenty years ago. The movements of the characters are often wooden which becomes frustrating after a while. The sound departement also has a certain vintage touch and the voice actors are portraying the characters with heavily exaggerated dialects that are at times unintentionally funny.

In the end, you can grab this game for twenty bucks or less if you like old school stealth action video games. If you are looking for a spectacular shooter with a gripping story, you will be disappointed by Alekhine's Gun. Playing the game was fun while it lasted but I wouldn't revisit it anytime soon. 

Detailed rating:

Atmosphere: 8/10

Challenge level: 8/10

Controls: 7/10

Game flow: 7/10

Graphics: 3/10

Length: 7/10

Long-term fun factor: 6/10

Sound: 6/10

Soundtrack: 6/10

Story: 7/10 

Total score: 65 /100

Hitman is stealth video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix. It's the sixth entry in the Hitman franchise. The game consists of six episodes and is also described as the first season of this franchise reboot.

The six episodes follow contract killer Agent 47 who has to eliminate targets all around the world from a fashion show in Paris over the dusty streets of Marrakesh to a private hospital in Hokkaido. While the locations are stunning and diversified, the different missions are sometimes repetitive and tedious. Potential bonus episodes and online content can't hide the fact that the game is missing a coherent flow which decreases the long-term factor significantly. Instead of playing the entire first season all at once, it's recommanded to play one episode in its entirety and to take a break of a few weeks to rediscover Hitman's universe again.

Just like the other entries of the franchise and even the two movies, the new Hitman reboots has massive ups and downs. If you want to play single coherent stealth video game episodes, Hitman can occasionally provide some solid entertainment. If you are however looking for a game with an intriguing story that connects the different episodes and original twists, you will have to look elsewhere. In the end, the new Hitman reboot is only for long-time fans of the franchise.

Detailed rating:

Atmosphere: 8/10

Challenge level: 8/10

Controls: 7/10

Game flow: 6/10

Graphics: 8/10

Length: 7/10

Long-term fun factor: 6/10

Sound: 7/10

Soundtrack: 7/10

Story: 6/10 

Total score: 70 /100